Lives of the Caesars

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Catullus’ satire of Julius Caesar

…in the Roman biographer Suetonius’ Life of Julius Caesar, Catullus’ father was Caesar’s friend and host, but the son nevertheless lampooned not only the future dictator but also his son-in-law Pompey and his agent and military engineer Mamurra with a scurrility that Caesar admitted was personally damaging and would leave…

discussed in biography

…and De vita Caesarum (Lives of the Caesars). The latter book, seasoned with bits of gossip and scandal relating to the lives of Julius Caesar and the first 11 Roman emperors, secured him lasting fame.

historiography

…the De vita Caesarum (Lives of the Caesars), written by Suetonius in the 2nd century. His treatments consist of an account of each emperor’s administrative and military accomplishments followed by a description of his character and personal life. Although Suetonius, a former imperial secretary, drew upon the imperial archives…

Latin literature

Suetonius’ lives of the Caesars and of poets contain much valuable information, especially since he had access to the imperial archives. His method was to cite in categories whatever he found, favourable or hostile, and to leave this raw material to the judgment of the reader.…

…brief span of years the Lives of the Caesars, by the Roman emperor Hadrian’s librarian Suetonius. These works established a quite subtle mingling of character sketch with chronological narrative that has ever since been the dominant mark of this genre. Plutarch, from an ethical standpoint emphasizing the political virtues of…

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